


I Need the Truth

by TaeFansick



Category: Gravity Falls, Steven Universe (Cartoon), The X-Files
Genre: Aliens, Crossover, Cults, M/M, Murder, Mystery, Romance, Slow Burn, Weirdness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:22:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27556033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TaeFansick/pseuds/TaeFansick
Summary: A murder with some unusual circumstances gains attention. But what do the people of Gravity Falls know?*Warning that there are mentions of violence and death that slowly steer towards more supernatural elements. This story will be discussing a lot of Steven's past, going over details of emotional abuse and other elements.*
Relationships: Steven Universe/Fox Mulder
Comments: 151
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Poesraven1990](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Poesraven1990/gifts).



“Excuse me.” 

Steven glanced up from restocking the shelves, seeing what he initially assumed were a couple of tourists. That wouldn’t be unusual for the Mystery Shack anyway. One a very composed woman with lovely hair and the other a man who had an oddly boyish charm to him. “Yes? How can I help you?” He paused in work to give them his full attention. 

The woman spoke up, both of them flashing badges. “I’m Agent Scully and this Agent Mulder. We’re here investigating the death of Tad Strange. Did you know him?” 

Steven frowned. “No, I’m sorry. I haven’t lived in town long enough to really get to know anyone here…” 

“Would anyone else here have possibly known him?” Mulder inquired, observing the young man for any strand of a lie. He doubted it. The young man came off as an open book and didn’t look like a local from what they had seen of the town. He was...brighter, somehow. 

“Sure. Stan has been running the Shack for years so he probably knew him. Give me just a moment, please.” He set the box down, brushing his hands off as he disappeared in the back. 

The agents took their time to look around as they waited, Mulder admiring the oddities. “I know you’re going to tease me for this, but I like this place.” 

“Of course you do,” Scully replied, rolling her eyes with a smile. 

When the door opened again, the young man was by himself still. “I’m sorry, he’s not in his office. I think he might be doing a tour…” 

“That’s fine.” Mulder pulled out a card and handed it to the young man. “If you or anyone here knows anything concerning the victim, give us a call. Otherwise, we’ll be in touch. Can we get your name for reference?” 

“Steven. Steven Universe.” He fiddled with the card in his hands. “I’ll make sure to let Stan know.” Not being used to being around anyone of law enforcement or above (by Earth standards anyway) he was a little nervous. “So...What happened exactly?” 

“You wanna know all the gruesome details?” 

“Stars, no!” Steven exclaimed. “Just...I know he wasn’t a close friend, but he was still a person. And no one’s really said anything about him. I’ve only been here a few months but normally when something happens, I hear about it from everyone. Not with him, though…” 

Mulder paused, mulling over the risks and advantages of sharing details. He looked to Scully who made no indication to withhold and turned back to Steven. “He was found in a ritualistic fashion. Have you heard anything about any cults?” 

“No.” 

“Well, we suspect there is one undergound here. Or at least nearby. He was found on a large altar that is of an unknown substance we’re currently studying.” 

“A large altar?” Steven scowled. “I had no idea there was something like that here. Where was it?” 

“In a clearing about half an hour from here, going east.” 

Steven’s brow furrowed. _Wait._ “East? ...Did it look like it was made of crystal?” 

Mulder and Scully immediately looked to one another. “Yes, yes it did,” Scully confirmed. “Why? Have you come across it or know anyone who might know about it?” 

“Well it sounds like you’re talking about-” 

“Excuse me!” Ford strode in, looking very displeased. “If I might interject, this may be a business, but it is also a residence. And I didn’t give clearance for you to snoop around my home.” He stood close to Steven, looking protective of the young man. “Who are you?” 

“You’re the owner of this property?” Scully questioned. 

“I am. Stanford Pines.” 

“Stan Pines, owner of this shop?”

“No, that would be my brother, Stanley,” Ford grumbled. 

The two flashed their badges again as Mulder spoke. ”We’re Agents Mulder and Scully with the FBI. We’re running an investigation on the death of Tad Strange and Mr Universe here was telling us he might know about the altar the victim was found on.” He gave a pointed look to Steven to encourage him to keep talking. 

Steven hesitated with Ford there, the man giving him a curious look. “They said he was found East of here,” Steven mumbled, uncertain now that Ford was clearly not happy having these agents in the Mystery Shack. 

Ford caught on, but lied to the agents. “Ah, yes. Steven, please excuse us.” The young man made a move like he was about to argue but quickly deflated, leaving with a nod. Once he was gone, Ford spoke again. “That was a former location for a group. They called themselves the Society of the Blind Eye.” 

“Are they still active?” Scully pressed. 

“I can’t imagine they would be. The entire reason for their existence was to hide all the unusual things that take place here in Gravity Falls. After Weirdmageddon, everyone was pretty aware of all the oddities.” 

“Weirdmageddon?” Mulder’s interest peaked. 

“Yes. The entire area is a focus for strange creatures and circumstances. The Society for the Blind Eye devoted themselves to hiding that from the public using a memory eraser that was invited by a former partner of mine. Very capable engineer but as you can imagine, his mind isn’t quite the same anymore.” Ford adjusted his glasses with a sigh. “As far as I know, they disbanded about a year ago. I wouldn’t know of anyone using that space now.”

Mulder wasn’t satisfied. “Your employee seemed to know the space. Even though he’s only been here a short time. He said he didn’t even know the victim.” 

“No one really _knew_ Strange. He was a loner type. No family, no close friends. I don’t even know what he did for a living, if anything. As for Steven, he rather enjoys wandering the woods and the town. I don’t know where all he’s been.” 

“Would you mind if we continued speaking with him? To see what he knows?”

“Perhaps when he’s off the clock,” Ford dismissed. “He works for my brother and I think Stanley would prefer his employees not to be bothered while working their shifts.” 

“Fair enough.” Mulder gave a nod, handing over a card to the man. “Call us if you can recall anything else. We’ll be in touch.” As they left, the two knew they were thinking the same thing: Stanford Pines was hiding something and it had to do with their only lead so far. “So we have confirmation odd occurrences are the norm and that there was a cult at some point…” 

“Now just to see what our lead might know.”


	2. Chapter 2

Finding their lead again was easier said than done. In the meantime, Scully and Mulder had decided to focus on what they could collect from the scene, Scully looking over the body. 

"Anything unusual found?" 

"Aside from the fact that the damage is equivalent to being hit by a semi-truck?" Scully sighed, slumping on the motel bed. Mulder had come to her room to get her update, sitting on the other bed, still made and only used for Scully's open bags. "Did you have any luck?" 

"People don't want to talk about it. It's like the town is okay not making a big deal about a murder. I didn't find any family, no coworkers. Even his home didn't have much. A lot of different types of bread but not much else to set him apart. I tried asking about this Blind Eye Society, but no luck with that either." 

"And we're still waiting on the result for that altar and the fragments found in the body. It looked like pieces of agate but that's not really much of a lead." 

"I'm gunna go back to the crime scene. See if anything else can be recovered." 

Oooo

Steven was not liking this one bit. He had thought maybe this was the case when he heard where the body was found but this was bad. 

"Nononononono!" He muttered urgently, crossing the police tape. "Why on the warp pad of all places?!" He felt sick at all the blood left behind. Who would have done this? He glanced around, paranoid. Did they know what this was? Ford didn't even know what it was! The man had found it when hunting for some creature and Steven had to quickly pretend he didn't know what it was. 

Maybe someone else was investigating like Ford had and they thought Tad's body would phase away. But that should mean they aren't Gems at least, right? 

He can't let it be figured out. He worked so hard to cut off that part of his life. 

His hand glowing pink, he channeled as much force as he could before slamming his fist into the warp pad's surface, the energy bursting outward as everything shattered. 

Steven quickly rushed away before the sound attracted anyone else. Now at least no one would be able to warp in.

Oooo

Mulder nearly toppled over as the ground shook. What was that?! Once he regained his balance, he rushed towards the crime scene and was left in shock. 

It was destroyed! Obliterated! He crossed the tape, finding the whole surface in pieces and the surrounding ground looking like a giant boulder had slung across the sky. Considering the damage, one would expect to find something still left behind, but there wasn't anything indicating what had done it.

At first. What was fading from sight slowly but surely was a pink glow. 

“Now what do you suppose that is…?” 

Oooo

“Steven, where have you been?” 

The hybrid stiffened as he saw Ford at the coffee table. “Nowhere. Just making sure no one was lingering around after the last tour is all.” He hated lying to this nice family, but he didn’t want to have to leave and start all over again. 

“I see…” Ford gave a smile. “Stanley really doesn’t pay you enough for this.” 

“I’m fine.” He quickly got off the oversized green question marked shirt he had on over his normal attire and hung it up on the hook that had been holding his jacket. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Actually, Steven, if you’d just wait, I’d like to discuss what happened.” Steven didn’t want to, but stood awkwardly as he waited for Ford to speak. “About those agents the other day… I know this isn’t a decent thing to ask of you, but I would like to hold off mentioning that...finding until I can be sure that’s the location they meant.” Steven simply nodded, eyes downcast to Ford’s shoes as he spoke. “If it is indeed related, I have no issue telling them all I’ve found, but I would like to keep my research as far from a murder investigation as possible.” Ford frowned when Steven only nodded again to show he was listening. “I say this not because I’m upset with you talking to them, but because they wish to speak with you again. And I wanted to let you know my intentions. You are, of course, free to decide what you think is best. Neither choice will affect your future here, just to be clear.” 

“...” Steven glanced back up when Ford hadn’t added anything further and hummed in confirmation. “...May I leave?” 

“Y-...Yes, of course. Please be safe getting home.” 

“Sure. Thank you, Ford.” 

The man watched as Steven left, deflated. He didn’t really know much about Steven, but he’d become close with him since he and Stan returned from sailing. Soos had hired Steven only a few weeks before they came back. The young man was skittish around them, initially unsure about calling them by their first names until Stanley had insisted. He had an issue with eye contact and making small talk, which was a shame because he was very sweet. Ford had tried getting to know Steven, inviting him on a small trek to observe any changes in Gravity Falls. All he found different was that giant crystal which Steven took an interest in. 

Someone else who loved the unusual would be nice…Especially someone so- 

Ford shook his head. Nope. Not having that thought. He didn’t even know if Steven was seeing anyone or if he was interested in men like that. Not to mention the age gap…But one can imagine, right? 

Oooo

Steven returned to the room he saw as home for the last couple of months with a few bags of groceries in hand. He wasn’t particularly excited about being alone in this room again, but maybe he would just go to bed early. 

“Mr Universe!” 

Steven grimaced at how that sounded. He really had to change his name. He paused opening the door, seeing the male agent from before. “Hello. Agent…?” Shit he’d forgotten. 

“Mulder.” He was grinning and looked out of breath. “Off the clock? Would it be alright if I got a few questions in?” 

“...Yeah, sure.” Steven opened the door, letting Mulder follow him in. “If you’ll excuse me, I just have to put a couple of things up.” He rushed to put away his food and slip off his shoes. “Please make yourself comfortable.” 

Mulder took a seat at the small table, noting that Steven didn’t have any bags out like Scully and he had, the other small bed completely made up and empty. “Didn’t pack much with you?” 

“It’s all put away.”

“You live here? I thought you’d been in town a couple of months.” 

“I wasn’t sure if I was staying. Would you like something to drink?” 

“No thanks. I just wanted to see if you could remember anything about the victim. You were saying last time you thought you might know the area?” 

“I don’t really know of any place around here.” Steven shrugged, sitting on the still made bed closest to the table. “I just saw some places when wandering around before and after work. It just sounded familiar but I’m not exactly from anywhere near here.” 

“Where are you from?”

“The coast. Um...east coast.” 

“That’s quite the drive. What brought you out this way?” 

“Just...family problems.” Steven avoided eye contact. “I can’t help with the investigation. I’m sorry.” 

“Have you seen during your wondering anything that resembles a giant crystal in the woods? A large one flat along the top as if purposely placed there? With stairs carved into it?”

“Sorry.” Not technically a lie and Mulder took it as a denial so that was working in his favor, the agent frowning. “A giant rock isn’t the weirdest thing to happen here from what I’d been told.” 

“Yeah, it would seem that the killer thought it was a dramatic spot to make the kill. But what’s strange is we found the crime scene completely destroyed when we went back today. I mean, I felt the ground shake!” 

Steven’s eyes widened. “You weren’t hurt, were you?!” 

Mulder paused at that, finding the young man’s genuine concern cute. “Yeah, I’m perfectly fine. Our crime scene isn’t, but that’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. We did find a strange pink glow leftover that vanished shortly after and we found a bunch of pieces of agate in the victim-”

“Agate.” 

Mulder laughed. “Yeah, I know that sounds a little weird.” 

“What color agate?” 

Mulder shrugged, playing it off as casual. “Does it matter?” 

“...No. Just curious I guess.” 

“My partner said he took so much damage it was like he was hit by a semi-truck. It makes it a little difficult. And we’re having trouble understanding the motive. His wallet was still on him, his home was undisturbed. We could find any friends or enemies.” 

“So...that’s it? It’s over?”

“I don’t think so. It was violent and normally people who commit something so horrible...they escalate. That’s why it’s so important to learn everything we can before someone else is hurt.” He saw how Steven swallowed nervously and gave what he hoped was a comforting smile. “I don’t mean to frighten. We’re doing all we can to hunt down whoever is responsible. If you do remember anything, let us know. I’m in room 64.” He stood, giving a wave as he left. He didn’t get all the information he hoped for, but he suspected there was something being covered up.


	3. Chapter 3

Steven swallowed, standing beside Stan who was trying to make things seem less dismal. “Hey, cheer up, Sugar! It isn’t that bad. We’ll uh...We’ll get this cleaned up in no time!” 

They both knew it was a lie, looking out at the mess. What the hell could have done this? They had gone out when a foul order came in with the breeze, Steven coming in early for work and asking Stan and Ford what it was. Confused, they went out to hunt down the source and regretted it. It looked like an animal had been ripped open and strewn all over, insides hanging from the trees. 

But that’s not what had Steven pale with fear. It was the Gem shards scattered all over that neither man seemed to notice. They were Rose Quartz fragments. 

Someone was here. And they clearly were not happy with being trapped here or the fact that Steven was here. 

“Well, I suppose we should call animal control,” Ford commented. “Stanley, close the shop today. Steven, you’re welcome to go home. We’ll make sure you’re paid for today.” 

Steven didn’t argue. He needed to find whoever was doing this. He simply nodded, leaving the men behind. 

Stan sighed as Steven left, feeling nauseous at the display of gore. “I’ve seen quite a bit on this property but this is a first. Good thing the kids aren’t here.” 

“Yes, it is strange…I hope it doesn’t deter Steven from returning. This isn’t the sort of thing I expected him to be exposed to during his employment.” He adjusted his glasses, finally noting the glitter across the ground. He knelt close, taking a fragment in his hand. “What’s this? Crystal of some sort?”

“Crystals? The valuable sellable kind?” 

“Stanley-” 

“Just let me clear em up before you call to have all this taken away! I’m already losing out on a day with the Shack being opened. This will help make up for it!” 

Oooo

“Mr Universe!” Mulder greeted, running up beside the young man. “Little early for you to be running errands isn’t it?” 

Steven glanced over, seeing Mulder in what must be his workout attire. He became momentarily distracted by the man’s smile and flushed cheeks. He was standing so close… “I got the day off work.”

“Really? Holiday? Boss sick?” 

“There was an..Uh, an animal I guess. Strewn about on the property. They let me leave since the Shack will be closed.” No point in lying. 

Mulder’s smile twisted into an expression of interest and concern. “An animal? What kind of animal?”

“I don’t know. It was all...insides…” Steven still felt sick thinking about it. 

Mulder was quick to detect his unease and stood to stop Steven from walking, cutting off his path and forcing the hybrid to meet his gaze again. “Hey, are you okay?” 

“What?” _His eyes are really…_

“Seeing something like that can be traumatic. It’s okay if you’re not okay.” Mulder watched, heartbreaking a little, as confusion painted the young man’s face. Had no one ever told him it was okay to be vulnerable? How much trauma had he dealt with that he walked off? Is that why he was wandering around town now? To repress it? Mulder forced a smile. “Hey, I’ve got some time before I have to meet up with my partner. Did you want to accompany me to breakfast? My treat.” 

Pink dusted Steven’s cheeks. “I don’t want to be a bother-” 

“Don’t be silly. I’m inviting you! So where’s a good place to eat around here?” He gestured to his sweatpants and white tee. “Someplace that won’t mind how I’m dressed.” 

Steven really should be refusing. He should be looking for a rogue Gem! He should definitely not be thinking about how nice of shape Agent Mulder was in. “...Okay.”


	4. Chapter 4

“So is this place good?”

“It’s open.” And cheap. 

“Fair enough.” He followed Steven to one of the booths. 

A woman in a pink uniform greeted them. “Morning, sunshine~!” She stepped over to the booth. “Not used to seeing you here so early! Did Stanley let you loose?” 

“Hey, Susan,” Steven greeted, smiling. It was the first time Mulder saw Steven relaxed. It was nice. “Yeah, the Shack is closed today.”

“Well at least you get some time off.” She grinned at Mulder. “And who’s this handsome gentleman?”

“Fox Mulder,” the agent replied, smiling. 

“Did you have to throw a few punches to get a date with our Steven here?” 

“What?” Steven looked confused at the statement, Susan just laughing. 

“Nevermind~. What can I get you today?” 

“Some eggs and bacon for me,” Mulder requested. “And a coffee.” 

“Same for me, I guess,” Steven said. “But if I could have tea?” 

“Sure thing, hun.” She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the men alone in the quiet diner. 

Steven picked up a sugar packet to fiddle with. “So...Fox. That’s your first name.” 

“It is.” He looked to Steven’s hands, noting the nervous habit. “You’re free to call me that if you like. Unless you want to keep things professional, Mr Universe.” 

“I hate that name.” Steven flushed as he quickly explained. “Universe, I mean. I’ve wanted to change my name, but I have no idea what I would change it to.” 

“Is it a married name?”

“It’s a stage name. My dad’s. He had his name changed from DeMayo to Universe when he left home. I never found out we had DeMayo relatives until I was fourteen because he never spoke about his family.” He groaned. “I’m sorry, I don’t why I’m talking about this…” What was wrong with him? Even Ford and Stan didn’t know this much. It was a simple rule: don’t talk about his past! How hard is that? 

“That must have been hard. So you didn’t ever run into other kids from your family in school?” 

“I didn’t go to school.”

“You were homeschooled?” 

“I...Can we talk about something else?” 

Mulder frowned at that. Averted gaze, quickened breaths, clear agitation and refusal to talk about his home life. Steven hadn’t been this worked up when discussing the murder but now he looked distraught. He accommodated. “Sure. What would you like to talk about?” 

“...I don’t know…” He moved as if he was trying to shrink into himself in a subtle way. “I’m sorry. I don’t really know how to talk to people. I’m not exactly good company.” He shook his head, trying to salvage the conversation. “I mean, I used to be! I used to be really good at being around people! Helping them and...I loved performing for Beachapoolza! But I don’t sing anymore. I don’t know if I can. I stopped...Well, I don’t really know when I stopped, ya know? I guess I just didn’t have any reason to…” He slumped in his seat. “I’m rambling. Maybe you should talk.” 

“Hey.” Fox reached over, resting a hand over Steven’s, still fiddling with the sugar packet. “Don’t stop. I like hearing you talk.” For some reason, Steven’s voice was soothing. It was like a shot in the back of his neck that went right to his brain, coating all of his senses with some strange sugar. Even though he was still seeing the red flags, Fox desperately needed more of that voice. “I want to hear whatever you’re willing to share with me. Off the record. Don’t think of me as an agent. Just the two of us as men.” 

“...I forgot you’re an agent,” Steven admitted, looking bashful. He didn’t pull his hand from Mulder-Fox’s-touch. _He has nice hands...Strong hands._

Fox laughed at that, the moment broken by Susan returning with their food and drinks which forced Fox and Steven to seperate. The woman made a look of encouragement but said nothing about it before leaving them again. Fox watched Steven rip open his sugar to pour into his tea. “Sweet tea drinker, huh?”

“They don’t have honey, so…” Steven shrugged as he stirred it in. A normally do sweetened iced tea, but hot tea is okay too." 

"More a coffee drinker myself." Scully would tease him relentlessly for his poor conversation skills right now but luckily the young man sitting across from him didn't notice or didn't mind. 

"I wasn't allowed to have it. I'm not affected by caffeine anyway so it doesn't matter too much." 

"Not affected?" 

Steven stilled for a brief second before stabbing some food on his plate, forcing a bite down as he tried to quickly think of a new topic. "So...You must be pretty smart to be in your line of work, huh?" 

"I guess. A lot of my colleagues don't seem to think so. I earned the nickname Spooky Mulder for my interest in the unexplainable. I argue with Scully quite a bit about the existence of bigfoot and aliens-" At Steven choking around his food, Fox quickly rushed to his side. "Are you alright?" 

Steven swallowed some of his tea before slamming the cup down. "I have to go!" He pushed past Mulder quickly. "Thank you for breakfast!" And just like that, he was gone. 

Fox slipped into the booth, mouth agape as he tried to process what happened. He thought they were doing okay…

"You poor dear," Susan sighed, coming over to check on the man. "If it makes you feel any better, at least you got to have part of a meal with him. Can't tell you how many times I see people come up to him asking to join him and he rejects them. Every single one. Even Dan!" She patted his shoulder. "Do you want a to-go box, hun?" 

"Yeah, thanks." Fox slumped, propping his chin in one hand. "Guess I shouldn't have brought up the spooky stuff. Thought he'd like that stuff, working at that place." 

"I don't think he minds weird stuff, if you ask me. Only think he hates the subject of spacey stuff." 

"So aliens he won't talk about." 

"Every time I've seen someone bring it up, he has none of it." 

"Isn't that interesting…"


	5. Chapter 5

Steven called the night before to see if the Shack would be open soon. 

“Fraid it’s gunna take a couple of days to clear everything out, but you’re welcome to come by and help us get some other stuff done,” Stan offered. “Soos is using the time to get some maintenance done. Fixing the water heater, replacing some damaged stuff on the roof, reattaching that damn S that keeps almost falling off...Stuff like that. Ya don’t have to if you don’t want, but if you do, I’m willing to pay time and a half.”

 _Does time come in halves?_ “Yeah, of course. If Soos doesn’t mind sort of teaching me what to do…” 

“He’ll be thrilled to have someone to teach!” 

So here Steven was, bright and early, making sure he dressed to work. “Good morning, Stan. Good morning, Ford.” 

Both men stood, greeting Steven with a smile as he entered the kitchen. “Good morning, Steven!” 

“Mornin’, Sugar!” Stan ignored the look Ford gave him. “Have a seat! We were just about to have breakfast! Join us and dig in!” 

“I thought we were working?” 

“Soos isn’t here yet,” Stan explained. “So we may as well eat, right?” 

“I...I guess?” Steven grew uncomfortable with the way the men waited for him to reply. He felt his face heat up. “I’m not really hungry-”

“We also have coffee or juice,” Ford offered.

“No, I-” Steven’s eyes widened as he spotted the old shoe box on the counter, filled to the brim with- “What is that?” 

Stan glanced over. “Oh that. You won’t believe it, but we found a bunch of crystals near that mess in the woods and-” 

“You took them.” 

“Figure it would be worth a few bucks-”

“YOU CAN’T SELL THEM!” Steven had never raised his voice up to this point. Never once did he do or say anything to suggest any sort of confrontation. Now here he was, genuinely upset. “You don’t have the right to sell them! They don’t deserve to be treated like-!” 

“They?” A voice interjected.

Steven was frozen. So many thoughts rushed through his mind. That he screamed at his boss, the family that had been so kind to him. That he revealed that these weren’t normal crystals like one would typically find on Earth. That the voice of the person now beside him was Mulder. 

He refused to look over, Stan already hounding into the agent. 

“You can’t just barge into someone’s home like that, ya know!” 

“I heard some distressed yelling and thought it was worth investigating.” He had come to the Shack thinking Steven would be working, wanting to apologize for making the young man uncomfortable. Once he heard Steven shouting, he ran in without thinking. “Is everything alright?” 

“A slight disagreement it would seem,” Ford explained. “Is there a reason you’re here?” 

“Actually I came to see Steven.” He gave a reassuring smile to the young man, but the other still wasn’t looking at him. “I didn’t want to just swing by your room uninvited, so I waited until I thought you’d be working.” 

“His room?” Ford’s face contorted in confusion. “Are you two staying some place together?” 

“We’re at the same motel,”

“A motel?!” Stan was no longer occupied with a federal agent in his kitchen. “You’re wasting money on a shabby room when you could have just stayed here? We have plenty of space! I thought you said you had a place set up for you!” 

“I do...The motel.” Steven barely recognized his own voice. It sounded so...far away. It had sounded like this before at some point, hadn’t it? When was that?

Ford became alarmed. “Steven? You’re-!”

Pink. He was turning pink. _Nononononononononono-!_

Mulder couldn’t take his eyes off the young man beside him. Pink hair, pink diamond eyes, his skin glowing under his cheeks and under his shirt. He looked upset and inconsolable. But not surprised. 

“Steven?” Fox gently spoke up, resting a hand on Steven’s shoulder. 

It was at that moment that the young hybrid was no longer able to continue, his Gem half and his human half reaching a breaking point they had been fighting for months, since the young man had left Beach City. 

When he collapsed, Fox was the one to catch him. The agent watched as the pink from his hair and the glow receded for the most part but was stubbornly pulsating on his stomach. Curious as to what sort of injury would cause that, Fox lifted the hybrid’s shirt to reveal the glowing diamond.


	6. Chapter 6

Fox was not sure what to think about this situation, but he did call Scully once they got Steven to a bed. He didn’t ask who’s bed it was, but being a twin in the attic, he assumed it was a sort of guest room. 

He stayed close after the call was made, the twins he let do their own observations. Ford was doing observations, anyway. Fox sat on the other twin bed, not sure what to do but not wanting to leave. 

“So you and Steven are close?” Fox spoke up, looking to Stan who was sitting beside him. 

“I mean, I guess.” The man grumbled. “He’s been here a while. He does a good job and all…” He scowled at Fox. “Why are you so interested?”

“He’s a sweet kid,” Mulder answered honestly. “But I didn’t get to know much about him over breakfast the other day. And I’m pretty obsessed with anything weird like this so that helps.”

“Yeah? So’s Sixer.” 

Ford only hummed a slight reply before Scully entered. “Hope you don’t mind, I let myself in.” It was merely said as a courtesy, her joining Ford to look over Steven. “Run me through what happened.” 

Fox stepped in, moving to stand a little closer but making sure he was still out of the way. “He got stressed out, I think. His hair changed to pink and his eyes changed to pink diamonds. He was literally glowing.” The gemstone in Steven’s stomach was still glowing, it’s light pulsating. “I’m not sure what to make of it.”

“What triggered it?”

“He reacted badly to Stanley’s box of crystals on the counter,” Ford explained. “He started yelling that we couldn’t sell them, treating the fragments like people.” 

“Crystal fragments?” Scully perked. “What kind of fragments?” 

“Just some quartz, I believe,” 

“Rose quartz crystals. That fits our crime scene…” Scully frowned. She was a skeptic by nature, but after working with Mulder for so long, she was more willing to make unusual connections. “Mulder, would you say that pink glow you found at the crime scene matched the color Steven turned into?” 

Fox had hoped she would link it so he didn’t have to push it on his own. “Yes I would.” 

“What are you suggesting?!” Ford snapped. “Steven is no murderer! He’s never raised his voice before today! And he wouldn’t have had the time, anyway. He’s always helping here and when he’s not here he’s home!” 

“Well, a hotel. Not really a home,” Stan commented. 

“Even more a point!” Ford insisted. “They must have cameras all over you can double check for an alibi!” 

“We’re not suggesting Steven murdered Tad Strange,” Fox assured. “But we do think he disrupted the crime scene and tampered with possible evidence that could have been recovered.” 

“For the moment, he’s not able to be interrogated.” Scully began digging through his pockets on his jeans, finally finding his phone and wallet for information. “Did he have any sort of emergency contact on paperwork, in case he needs to be hospitalized?” 

“Soos was the one that hired him, so I’m not sure.” Stan stood, sighing. “I’ll go check quick. Let you know.” 

Scully handed the cell to Ford. “Do you know his passwords or anything?” All that was in his wallet was some cash, a couple of coupons, a refill card, gas station loyalty card and a picture of a young Steven with who Scully assumed was his father. 

“No...I’m sorry, I didn’t see much of Steven when he wasn’t working.” Ford’s shoulder slumped as he came to realize how little he really knew about the young man in their care. “He doesn’t really talk about home or family or friends. I assumed he was just the quiet type.” 

“He became quite the chatterbox the other morning,” Fox spoke up. “I have a hard time believing he wasn’t here at least at some point.” 

Ford couldn’t help it. “What did he talk about?”

Mulder shrugged. “Just that he liked iced tea over coffee because caffeine doesn’t affect him. He brought up that he wanted to change his name because Universe was a stage name his dad used. That he used to like performing. Pretty basic stuff.” 

Ford scowled. Steven never shared any of that with him. “Well, maybe the contents in his car will have something useful. In the meantime…” He looked to Steven, who still looked like he was in distress even when unconscious. “What should we do? Call a doctor?”

“I can watch over his progress.” Scully didn’t like the idea of being liable for someone like this but something in her gut told her this was a very special case and needed to be handled differently than how they would normally go about it. She would have to trust Mulder’s choices more on this. And that was enough to make her nervous and curious.


	7. Chapter 7

By the time evening rolled around, Steven was still out of it, the stone in his stomach still pulsating, though now it was slower. They hoped that was a positive indicator that he would come around soon. 

Soos had decided to stick around to see Steven’s progress in between making the repairs, making sure to stay off of the roof for the day so he could rest.

In the meantime, Mulder tried looking up anyone by the last name DeMayo or Universe along the east coast, but it proved to show a lot of results. And since it also went by Fox’s internet history, it also mentioned a lot of NASA articles. Eventually, he had some luck finding something when he searched Mr Universe, finding someone by the name of Greg in a place called Beach City. A quick look at their tourist information there confirmed an annual event called Beachapalooza as Steven had mentioned he once participated in. 

Greg was evidently not great at social media, with most of his posts being music-related. He would talk about offering guitar lessons, giving deals for the carwash he ran...But after filtering through, Fox was happy to see some posts with a young man that was no doubt Steven along with some women of unusual skin tones. It wasn’t ideal, but Fox sent a message he hoped would get through. 

_Dear Greg Universe:_

_I encountered your son Steven while here in Gravity Falls, Oregon for an investigation and he is displaying some unusual behavior to say the least. We think he may have been mixed up in something he can’t handle and has collapsed due to some form of a panic attack._

_He is stable and in the home of his employers here at the Mystery Shack, but we need information concerning any health concerns should he need to be taken to the hospital. The sooner you can contact us, the better. We attempted to get into his cell phone to call directly since he is still unconscious, but we’ve no luck with the password and are currently locked out of it._

_Regards,_

_Fox Mulder  
Federal Bureau of Investigation _

He didn’t need to add on his own employer or mention he was there for an investigation, but he figured it would be enough to actually gain a response. He added his own number and the Shack’s contact information, hoping to talk to the man more directly. 

Now he supposed it was just a matter of waiting. 

Ooo

It was late, and still nothing from Steven. More than a few times Scully and Ford would check his pulse and breathing, unable to believe that he was able to remain stable when he was hardly taking a breath. The stone in his stomach still pulsed, slow and steady. 

It was past midnight when the phone rang.

“Yeah, what do ya want?” Stan answered, suppressing a yawn. 

A frantic voice was on the other end. “Where is my son?! Is he there?!” 

“You Steven’s dad?” 

“I’m Greg Universe, yes! Where is Steven? What happened?!” 

“Slow your roll. Let me get a pen and paper. I’m supposed to ask about allergies and such.” 

“He doesn’t have allergies!” Greg snapped, before his voice became hesitant. “I mean, I don’t think he does…”

“You think or you know? Because I’m not gunna risk the kid reacting bad to penicillin if we talk him to the emergency room.” 

“He’s never shown to have any.” Greg was at least a little more composed now. “He barely ever gets sick. I think he had something like a fever when he was with the Gems but-” 

“The what now?” 

“The Gems. His mom’s family.” There was a lengthy pause. “He hasn’t mentioned the Gems?” 

“He hasn’t mentioned much of anything since he’s been here. Nothing about school or family or anything. Kid keeps to himself and then he has a breakdown because I tell him I wanna sell some shiny rocks we found!”

“Well, what kind were they?” 

“I dunno rose something…?”

“Rose quartz?! They aren’t Gem fragments, are they?!” 

“Pretty sure it counts as a gemstone. That’s why I wanted to sell them.” 

“No, like an _actual_ Rose Quartz! Like Steven’s mom!” 

“...What?” 

“Steven is part _Gem_. Rose Quartz Gems are like...his relatives. They would be like sisters, I guess... “

Stan was beyond confused. “...Can you hold on for just a second?” He didn’t wait for a reply before he set the phone down and got the nerdier people upstairs. He knocked against the doorframe to get their attention. “Hey, his old man is on the line.” 

“Great,” Fox replied, he and Ford rushing to talk to the father before Stan halted them. 

“No, I think the guy might be some sort of nutcase.” 

“How do you mean?” Ford inquired, brow raising. 

“He started talking about how the crystals are Steven’s sisters or mom or something and how he’s half rock and his aunts are rocks and...I dunno.” 

“Half rock.” Scully deadpanned. “Of course he is.” 

Fox was the one to squeeze past Stan and rush to the phone, sticking his tongue out at Ford who was close behind but too slow to grab the phone before the agent did. “Mr Universe? This is Agent Mulder. You were saying something about Steven being part rock?”

Greg groaned. “Part Gem!” 

“And how did you come to this conclusion?” 

“It’s from his mom’s side! Has he seriously not mentioned any of this? He spent his whole life trying to help other Gems and fighting space battles and-”

“Space battles?” 

“Yeah, the Gems are aliens.” Mulder heard the man sigh, clearly exhausted. “Look, Steven’s mom was like a ruler or something with some others and she came to earth and became Rose. That’s how I knew her when we met. Then she gave up herself to give birth to Steven. So Steven is half human like me, half Gem like Rose. That’s why he has that Gem in his stomach. It was hers.” 

“I see...So Rose would be as in Rose Quartz.” 

“Yeah, there’s a bunch of them up there on their planet still. They’re sort of his family, I guess.” 

“Do you know anything about any agates that were Gems?” 

“One ran the zoo when I was accidentally abducted. But I’m pretty sure she’s still there. She didn’t sound like a fan of Earth.” 

“I see…” Mulder fidgeted in excitement. Aliens! Alien hybrids! An abduction! “Would you happen to know anything about a large crystal formation made to look like a giant altar?” 

“A what?”

“Large and round with a flat surface.” 

“Sounds like a warp pad to me. The Gems use them to go from place to place.” 

“Are there a lot of them?”

“I think so…? I couldn’t say how many.”

“Let me give you my contact information.”


	8. Chapter 8

“An _alien_! Did you hear me?” 

“We heard,” Scully replied, her tone cautious. 

Mulder was buzzing with excitement, looking around the room to gauge all the reactions. But they seemed more concerned than anything else. “You’d think I would have said something devastating the way you all look.” His gaze hardened a little. “You aren’t thinking of doing anything harmful to him, are you?” 

“Of course not!” Stan grumbled, arms crossed over his chest. 

“If anything, we were wondering what you were planning,” Ford accused, meeting Mulder’s glare. “After all, you’re the one that works for the government. You people have a habit of sweeping alien life under the rug.” 

“I don’t see any reason to do anything with Steven,” Mulder assured. 

“Though...he did tamper with a crime scene. He contaminated evidence. And people are being murdered and even if he isn’t the one responsible, he’s still linked to it in some way.” 

“Scully-”

“Mulder, I don’t want to mention any of this in my report! They’ll think I’m crazy! But I can’t just ignore the fact that Steven may be the target for these crimes and is therefore a center part of this investigation!” 

The statement hung in the air and hit the men in the room hard. It was true, but it was difficult to swallow. 

“...We’re not letting you do anything with him.” Stan finally spoke up. “Government be damned! Steven is a good kid who doesn’t deserve to be locked up because some crazed alien is on the hunt for him.” 

Scully tried to pacify him. “Mr Pines-” 

“He didn’t try to hurt anyone!” Stan cut her off. “He did all that thinking he was helping! I would bet every dime I own that Steven knows jack about the legal system or the concept of interfering with an investigation! Kid didn’t even know he was being flirted with by some of the teens that come through here until I explained it to him.” 

“He’s been sheltered pretty heavily then?”

“We aren’t sure,” Ford admitted. “Like we said before, he doesn’t talk about himself. But though he does struggle with some...daily things, we do our best to take him under our wing and teach him what we feel he needs to know.” 

“Not that the kid is stupid or anything. He’s sharp when it comes to people. He’s just clueless when any attention is given to him,”

Mulder made a mental note of that. He frowned as he mulled over possible ideas. It’s true that Steven was friendly and sweet. He saw for himself that Steven was very open with the woman at the diner, but at the same time, had no idea what Susan was talking about when she implied Mulder and the hybrid were dating. And Steven was not good at lying. He was easy to read when they first asked him questions. 

And him being an alien cleared up a few things. 

_”I didn’t go to school.”_

_“I’m not affected by caffeine anyway so it doesn’t matter much. “_

And what that woman Susan said after Steven rushed off in fear. 

_”Only think he hates the subject of spacey stuff. Every time I’ve seen someone bring it up, he has none of it.”_

It wouldn’t be strange to be private about his life, considering his alien heritage, but Steven was closed off about everything to do with his life! He had said he didn’t talk to his father’s family...Didn’t even know about them until he was a teenager! And he gave up singing… 

_”I don’t sing anymore. I don’t know if I can. I stopped...Well, I don’t really know when I stopped, ya know? I guess I just didn't have any reason to…”_

You didn’t need to be a genius to figure out that something was wrong here. As caring as Steven’s father sounded, Greg had been surprised that no one knew about his son being part Gem. That’s pretty much the opposite of what Mulder would think the parent of a hybrid would do. 

Clearly Steven’s upbringing had been a bit of a mess. “For now, all we can do is observe him and make sure he doesn’t get any worse. Wait for him to wake up and once he’s rested, we’ll see what he knows about all this. If he is the intended target, we can’t very well leave him unprotected either,” 

The Pines brothers shared a look before their shoulders slumped. Stan was the one to speak. “Guess we’ll...get you set up for bed. As thanks for helping with him.” As he and Ford left the room, Scully spoke up. 

“We really do only have Steven’s best interest at heart!” They made no sign that they heard her, clearly still reluctant and skeptical. She sighed. “Mulder, this is insane. You know that, right?” 

“Yeah, I do.” 

“No one would believe us even if we did say something.” 

“That’s true.” 

“And my report is going to be either filled with information that will be labeled nonsense or it’ll be nearly bare.” 

“I know. I’m sorry.” 

“No you’re not,” Scully sighed. “And you’re not sleeping in here, either! Not without me in here so he can still be under observation!” 

Mulder smiled, reaching out to ruffle her hair as thanks before she batted his hand away.


End file.
